Tonight’s Bonnie’s birthday! And according to the TVD promos, she’s finally going to try and off herself after realizing that while she’s spent the entire season literally living in hell, all of her “friends” have been too busy obsessing over Elena’s love life to really work on getting her out.
But over on Hypable, we haven’t forgotten our girl, Bon-Bon. As the only occasionally-selfless person left in Mystic Falls (obvs Matt isn’t a real person since he’s still human), Bonnie has single-handedly made The Vampire Diaries’ season 6 worth watching.
So even if all of her friends are too self-absorbed to appreciate her in her full ’90s plaid gloriousness, here are six reasons why we know Bonnie Bennett’s been the best part of season 6.
Bonnie rocks that ’90s look like a sexy DJ Tanner
Bonnie makes us forget that the ’90s were actually the worst dressed decade in history. Look at our Bon-Bon work those single-hooked overalls. Blossom and Six would have squealed over her effortless style.
She’s basically the Meryl Davis of supernatural creatures
At first glance, subtle and reserved, Bonnie’s actually been a sassy little spit-fire this season, going toe-to-toe with Damon’s one-liners. Bonnie dishes out the Real Talk, simultaneously always bringing perspective to their dire situation, while still acting as a calm, soothing presence amidst their life of chaos. She’s just so chill about being awesome.
Bonnie’s not afraid to gamble on herself
The girl’s got spunk. She trusts herself and does what needs to be done. She’s driven and proactive about even the most hopeless situations. And despite being left powerless and alone with a murderous psychopath, she’s been the only one this season to be fearless in the face of Kai. Holla at that time she played chicken with her magic, looking Kai in the eye like she gave literally zero f*cks as he zapped the life force out of her, before turning around and stabbing him in the chest. That’s called bravery and class. Also, maybe insanity.
She reminds us what hope looks like
Despite being trapped in a hellish prison for months on end, Bonnie’s been a bundle of optimism this season, single-handedly keeping up group morale as she and Damon worked to find a way home. Because for Bonnie, all of the typical Mystic Falls sidetracking bull won’t do; girl has a goal, and she sticks to it. She’s proactive about saving herself, and even when she’s trapped in her own personal horror flick, she still finds it in her to drag out that Christmas tree. Of course, she lights it on fire when she’s done, but that’s neither here nor there; with a drive like that, she deserves to defy her own misery.
Bonnie pulls off scary-ass witch-doctor like a boss
Bonnie’s been on fire this season, blowing up grocery stores and stabbing serial killers like a champ. Nothing can stop this stylish mofo of a witch-doctor. She gets shot with a crossbow? Whatever. Bon-Bon’s got it under control. She just stabs the psychopath that kidnapped her and hops on over to the hospital to self-prescribe herself a bucket of painkillers. She makes running for her life look like a mild inconvenience, and this season, Bonnie’s proven that she’s one of the few characters interesting enough to basically carry the show entirely on her own. Because this bamf knows how to take care of herself, and if step one of Project Badass Bonnie involves hot-wiring ’90s cars, we can’t wait to watch her break out Ms. Cuddles and rain down the fury on coven Gemini’s new number one.
She’s this season’s moral compass
All season long, Bonnie’s become The Vampire Diaries’ moral compass, always doing what she knows is right, even when it isn’t easy. She’s sacrificed so much to keep others safe, and while so many people back in Mystic Falls 2013 have been self-absorbed in their own dramas, stuck in 1994, Bonnie gave up her magic and traded an eternity of misery so that other people wouldn’t have to suffer. She makes selfless look breezy.
So happy birthday, Bonnie Bennett. We’ve missed you.
Bonnie makes her winter premiere back on The Vampire Diaries tonight, February 5, at 8 p.m. on The CW.